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THE BIG PICTURE—AFTERMATH OF THE SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: The government shutdown ended last Wednesday night, but the discussion about who’s at fault—and what it means for next year—is only just beginning. Will it have any effect on Democrats’ efforts to take back the House (and Republicans’ hopes to control the Senate) or will the whole thing blow over by next November? New numbers out from CNN show that voters are pretty upset—and that they’re blaming Republicans more than Democrats. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed said GOP members of Congress don’t deserve to be reelected, compared with 54 percent who said the same about congressional Democrats. (http://bit.ly/1a9TjAT) A USA Today/Princeton survey out yesterday found similar frustration among voters: in that poll, just 4 percent said Congress would be changed for the worse if almost every member was replaced next year (http://usat.ly/Hf6fu9). Stu Rothenberg says it’s clear the GOP has done itself damage that could have repercussions in 2014 or 2016—but that it’s too early to know just what kind of impact the shutdown could have a year down the road. http://bit.ly/1a9U3G2

ON THE OTHER HAND—EVERYONE’S WINNING THE SHUTDOWN MONEY RACE: The shutdown (or, at least, the impending threat of it last month) has definitely been good for Democrats’ third-quarter fundraising totals: all three of the party’s campaign committees, the DNC, DSCC and DCCC, outraised their Republican counterparts (http://wapo.st/1a9W1q2). But it’s not only the Democrats who have benefited: even the Republicans who started and supported the shutdown are bringing in huge fundraising hauls. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz brought in a combined $1.19 million between his joint fundraising committee, his reelection committee and his leadership PAC (http://wapo.st/1a9Wtoe), and the Senate Conservatives Fund—a big backer of Cruz and his efforts—brought in $2.1 million in September alone, its second-highest fundraising month ever (http://huff.to/1iaeCmM). We won’t know the final fundraising impact of the shutdown until the fourth-quarter reports are out, but at this point it looks like it’s not just Democrats who are coming out of the shutdown richer than before.

SNEAK PEEK—BOOKER HIRES D.C. VETERAN AS CHIEF OF STAFF: Maggie Haberman scoops this morning: “Louisa Terrell, an Obama administration veteran, is one of two staffers Booker has appointed. He's also naming Modia "Mo" Butler, who is now Booker's chief-of-staff at Newark's City Hall, as his state director, officials told POLITICO. Terrell has a background blending technology and social media with federal government experience. But she sends a clear signal about Booker's intent to be a serious legislative player in Washington, as he transitions from Newark chief executive and one of the Democratic Party's most famous faces to a more rigid institution. At the same time, Booker is making clear that he will keep long-serving aides who understand his state with the installation of Butler.” http://politi.co/Hf9kKO

THE 2014 MAP—MORE FEMALE GOVERNORS? There are currently only five female governors, but 2014 might be a chance to grow the ranks of women occupying the country’s governor’s mansions. Your Score Correspondent takes a look at the landscape this morning: “Thirty-six states will hold governor’s elections next year, and Democrats have top female recruits in at least five states who are poised to be their party’s nominee and competitive in the general election. Coupled with the four female governors who are running for reelection—three Republicans and one Democrat—observers say 2014 could see gains for women as states’ top executives. Of the five [current female governors], four are running for reelection and look likely to win another term. And of the new candidates, two or three look like better-then-even shots at winning next year—which would bring the total number of women governors closer to the record.” http://politi.co/Hf6BAS

THE GRIFFIN SEAT—WHO WILL RUN? Now that the dust has (somewhat) settled on Rep. Tim Griffin’s surprise announcement that he won’t seek reelection, a few names have started to emerge for who might run. Republicans are looking to two main candidates, state Sen. David Sanders and French Hill, CEO of Delta Trust & Bank (http://bit.ly/Hf8iOV). On the Democratic side, former North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Henry Hays is expected to launch a bid today; other possible Democratic recruits are former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, Conway Mayor Tab Townsell, former state Rep. Linda Tyler and Little Rock School Board President Dianne Curry. The seat is perhaps the most competitive in Arkansas, though it leans red—Mitt Romney won 54 percent of the vote there last year—but Democrats see Griffin’s retirement as an opportunity. http://bit.ly/Hf8iOV, http://politi.co/Hf8KwB

RATINGS CHANGES: Cook Political Report has shifted the ratings in 15 House races this week, most as a result of the shutdown: just one (WV-03) moves toward Republicans, while 13 (CA-41, CO-06, FL-22, MI-03, MI-07, MT-AL, NE-02, NJ-02, NJ-03, NM-02, NY-23, OH-06, PA-08) moved in Democrats’ favor. Also, Cook has moved Griffin’s district (AR-02) from “Solid Republican” to “Lean Republican.” http://bit.ly/1a9TtrL

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD—

1) Who jumps into the race to replace retiring Rep. Tim Griffin?

2) Can Ken Cuccinelli change the narrative in Thursday’s final Virginia debate?

3) Now that the Club for Growth has backed Thad Cochran’s challenger, will it get involved in Kentucky?

5) What kind of fallout does Chris Christie see from his same-sex marriage decision?

As the shutdown ends, the Times-Dispatch sits this one out and Dick Cheney says parts of “Homeland” really could have happened, here’s POLITICO’s Morning Score: your guide to the permanent campaign.

Welcome to Morning Score, where it’s great to be back at the helm this week. Germany was fun, but campaigns and politics there aren’t nearly as exciting! As always, send tips, suggestions and any other thoughts to eschultheis@politico.com.

**A message from POWERJobs: Mark your calendars! Join POWERJobs on Twitter on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 12 p.m. to discuss the do’s and don’ts of networking. Join the conversation using the hashtag #POWERChat.**

2013 NEWS—

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR: BLOOMBERG LENDS A HAND: Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe is already dominating the Virginia airwaves, and now he’s about to get even more ad time: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is putting $1.1 million into ads for McAuliffe. The ads, run through Independence USA PAC, will begin airing today and go through Election Day on Nov. 5. Per Maggie Haberman and James Hohmann, the content of the ads is unclear at this point. Bloomberg is the latest in a string of outside groups, including Planned Parenthood, the National Education Association and billionaire Tom Steyer, to bring in big ad buys for McAuliffe. http://politi.co/Hf6Dc3

-More from Virginia: Cuccinelli’s Times-Dispatch snub: The conservative Richmond Times-Dispatch editorial board Sunday night decided to withhold its endorsement in the race, despite endorsing the GOP attorney general candidate. “We cannot in good conscience endorse a candidate for governor,” the paper concluded, saying both McAuliffe and Cuccinelli had earned “derision” from the voters. The non-endorsement is indicative of the bigger problem that Cuccinelli’s having: that even people who should be on his side—many of the state’s Republicans—deem him too divisive to support, even if they’re not big fans of Democrat Terry McAuliffe. http://bit.ly/1a9oRa1

-First look—two new videos: Planned Parenthood Votes, the arm of the national Planned Parenthood organization that’s spending $1 million on the Virginia airwaves against Cuccinelli, is out with a new TV ad saying Cuccinelli’s positions on social issues would hurt rape survivors in Virginia: http://bit.ly/Hf7IAz. And a web video from the Virginia Democrats, out later this morning, says voters “can’t trust” Cuccinelli to stay away from social issues during the campaign: http://bit.ly/1eEZRsh

-Virginia Daybook: Both McAuliffe and Cuccinelli are getting a boost from some high-profile surrogates in the remaining two weeks of the campaign. McAuliffe’s campaign announced Sunday that former President Bill Clinton will do a three-day swing with the Democratic candidate, starting Oct. 27. Cuccinelli will appear with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Oct. 27 and with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Oct. 28.

-Later today: Cuccinelli will hold a conference call with Rep. Paul Ryan at 5:15 p.m., the campaign will announce this morning.

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR—CHRISTIE’S GAY MARRIAGE GAMBLE: The New Jersey governor and 2016 prospect opted to drop his appeal to a court decision allowing same-sex marriage in his state. Maggie Haberman, on what this means for him politically: “Some Republicans privately said they believe that is was a mistake for Christie, who is going to be perceived as the second coming of Rudy Giuliani unless he makes clear that he is, in fact, more conservative than the pro-choice former New York City mayor. ... But continuing to fight the ruling also would have gotten a lot of attention—and probably a good deal of criticism—in the remaining two weeks of Christie’s reelection bid in a heavily Democratic state.” http://politi.co/18Dao5F

BUT—BuzzFeed’s McKay Coppins writes that GOP mega-donors are pretty pleased with Christie’s move. “While he didn’t get the policy outcome he was looking for, he was able to navigate this in a way that’s really thoughtful and respectful of the sentiments of a diverse community within New Jersey,” Jeff Cook-McCormack, a senior adviser to major GOP donor Paul Singer, told BuzzFeed. http://bit.ly/1iaa1Rz

ALABAMA HOUSE SPECIAL—BYRNE GOES ON OFFENSE: Former state Sen. Bradley Byrne is going on air with a brutal ad against his 1st district runoff challenger, real estate developer Dean Young. In the new ad, Byrne’s campaign calls Young a “political moneyman with a self-dealing past.” “Young set up a PAC that was supposed to promote Christian values. Good Christian people donated to the PAC. But months later, Dean Young closed the PAC … after paying his company ninety five percent of the money. Over a hundred sixty grand,” the ad says. Byrne has won some big-name endorsements in the last few days: former Rep. Jo Bonner, whose seat he’s running to fill, endorsed him last Friday. He also got the backing of the National Rifle Association. Watch the ad: http://bit.ly/1a9rKYi

2014 NEWS—

EXCLUSIVE—NRSC HITS ON OBAMACARE: The day after President Obama publicly addressed concerns with Obamacare enrollment, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is launching ads against thirteen Democratic Senators and Senate candidates showing how the law will adversely affect voters in a dozen key states. The ads will run in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia. Two sample ads: http://bit.ly/1a9qm7X

FIRST LOOK—RGA PROPS UP HALEY IN SOUTH CAROLINA: The Republican Governors Association is out with the latest in its “American Comeback” web series, this time focusing on South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. The three-and-half-minute video features Haley speaking directly to camera about her background and why she got into politics. Previous videos in the series include Ohio Gov. John Kasich, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Watch: http://bit.ly/1eEZX2Q

MISSISSIPPI SENATE: COCHRAN CHALLENGER GETS A BOOST: Chris McDaniel, the Mississippi state senator who’s giving GOP Sen. Thad Cochran an unexpected primary, got the backing of the Club for Growth—and now the group is going on the air for him. The ad, which makes no mention of Cochran, calls McDaniel a “Constitutional conservative with backbone.” McDaniel is the most recent in a string of challengers to sitting GOP Senators: both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham have recently gotten conservative challengers as well. Alex Isenstadt had a piece yesterday about how the shutdown has brought on a slew of new GOP primaries (http://politi.co/1a9tjFG)—in McDaniel’s case, he even has enough support from groups like Club for Growth or the Senate Conservatives Fund to make his candidacy a headache—and potentially a threat—for Cochran. http://wapo.st/16rHbH3

FLORIDA HOUSE—YOUNG’S DISTRICT A ’14 BELLWETHER: Following Rep. Bill C.W. Young’s death on Friday, a new race for his seat began—one that the Tampa Bay Times’ Adam Smith says could be the real bellwether race for 2014. “Get ready to see some Washington Beltway reporters on the campaign trail in Pinellas [County]. The race should draw widespread attention as a barometer of the national political mood as the 2014 election cycle gets underway. ... In Congressional District 13 ... we have the ultimate swing district, easily winnable by either party, though Republicans have the registration advantage. Whether swing voter backlash over tea party Republicans in Washington shutting down the government over health care reform is short-lived or not, it may be clear by the results in Pinellas.” Candidates in the race could include former Democratic gubernatorial nominee Alex Sink and GOP St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, per Smith. http://bit.ly/Hf95iX

JEB TALKS 2016: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said the current climate in DC—and voters’ frustration with their politicians there—won’t play a role in his eventual decision about 2016, but that now is “not the right time” to be thinking about the next presidential election. http://abcn.ws/Hf9CBm

CLINTON IN THE OLD DOMINION STATE: Hillary Clinton may have been stumping for McAuliffe in Virginia this weekend, but the event—her post-State political debut—was all about her. More from this weekend: http://politi.co/1eETW6n (She’ll be back in DC on Thursday to speak at a Center for American Progress event.)

SCHWEITZER MULLING A BID: After passing on his state’s open Senate race earlier this year, former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer is reportedly thinking about a presidential bid: http://bit.ly/1a9nRT8

CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I brought some muffins!” –Vice President Joe Biden, handing out baked goods to furloughed employees last week after the shutdown ended http://wapo.st/1eEUcSZ

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